Small plane crashes at Somerset Airport in Bedminster, officials say

John Figlar/For The Star-Ledger This file photo shows a small plane that had a problem with its landing gear while landing at Somerset Airport in Bedminster in June 2010.

BEDMINSTER — A single-engine plane with two men on board crashed this evening at Somerset Airport in Bedminster, injuring both occupants, authorities said.

The crash, involving an American Champion plane, occurred at about 6 p.m. today as the aircraft was caused by "unknown reasons," said Holly Baker, a spokeswoman for the FAA.

The plane, a model CH7A, went down short of the runway as it approached from the southeast, Baker said. It was dark when the accident happened.

The extent of damage to the aircraft, a CH7A, is unknown at this time. The cause of the crash is under investigation, Baker said.

One of the occupants suffered an ankle injury and was treated by paramedics at the scene, and the other occupant suffered facial injuries, according to Eric Murphy, assistant chief of the volunteer Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Department.

One of victims was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was listed in fair condition tonight, a hospital spokesman said.

The small, newer model plane is registered to a company in Bridgewater, according to FAA records. The plane was built in 2009, the records show.

In June 2010, a small plane landed on its belly and skidded across a runway at Somerset Airport, but the the pilot emerged from the crash unharmed, Bedminster police reported at the time.

The pilot, a resident of Oak Ridge in Jefferson Township, was attempting to land his Siai Marchetti F260 when the landing gear did not extend, police said. The pilot landed his plane on its belly and it veered off the runway before coming to a stop in the grass after approximately 150 yards.